I have very fond memories of sitting there for hours with their Americanos, typing away on my old laptop. The donuts remind me of Catholic Church - the after church social part - where the dishes are from the 50s and the coffee containers are all soft stainless. It's a thing from church, I tell ya. Let's get back to the sacramental bread, shall we: The Pink Feather Boa is the best donut ever. No, don't argue. It's a little greasy (duh!) and chewy with the crunchy sweet combo of coconut and pink frosting. It's not too sweet and so, so good. Get it with an Americano and real cream and you'll probably fall over in your chair. Now that several years have passed since I've eaten a donut, I drop in for coffee. I just noticed today that they have gluten-free baked goods that look really yummy! (The church ladies didn't have these in the 70s and 80s.) Here's the problem, when you know you can't tolerate wheat and you've wandered into a place that sells wheat and sugar, it's dangerous when you find they have gluten-free stuff added to the menu. No sarcasm here, but thanks a lot, Top Pot! Oh, yes, I'll be treating myself soon. read more

As I write this review, I'm eating a Bavarian Cream donut the size of my head. Well maybe a little bit smaller than my head. But it's still damn big. And soft. And perfectly sweet. Top Pot is certainly the Anti Krispy Kreme, without KK's cloying glaze and sterile atmosphere. The donuts are taller and taste fresher. These donuts beat Krispy Kreme's like a red-headed stepchild. Try the Ovaltine Latte. Mmm. "More Ovaltine, Please!" read more

This is a review purely for donut quality. I think my expectations may have been set too high. Known as the best donut in Seattle, I would probably say this is unfortunately the worst donut I've ever had. I think even Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, which is also overrated, is better than this. Although Top Pot has some creative ideas, the donuts don't taste fresh, they're ridiculously overly sweet, and it took a lot of willpower for me to even finish one donut (it helped that I gave away chunks of it to my friends and forced them to eat it). If you want to try a really amazing donut and you're ever in the CA Bay Area, go to Donut King in Pleasanton. read more

"Doughnuts, is there anything they can't do?" Oh Homer, you don't even know how right you were. I prefer Top Pot to its louder, more busy sibling Bauhaus, even though Bauhaus is closer to my apartment. Not only are the doughnuts and coffee great, but the environment is relaxing and the neighborhood is chill. Chocolate covered, glazed, coconut; you can't go wrong. read more

There was a magical 3 years in my life where I lived but 2 blocks from the Cap. Hill Top Pot. Granted I moved to 3 different apartments in 3 years, this Top Pot location was coincidentally always the epicenter....coincidentally.......suuuuuure. I seriously did love this place. The staff was always pleasant (even at 7am) and the doughnuts were ALWAYS good. I didn't mind the fact that I grew a second chin, nor did I care that I took it personally whenever they were out of the double chocolate glazed doughnut. Top Pot seemed to always bring a sugar-induced smile to my face. Long story short, this place has it all! (except ample parking). read more

I used to hate donuts and these assholes have changed my opinion. Top Pot is my first stop in the morning for coffee (drip is strong and cheap, or treat yourself to a fantastic Ovaltine Latte), every other time I can't help myself to a donut, though favoritism is difficult when everything I've tried is delicious. The staff is usually friendly and chatty enough to make conversation, seemingly to whatever extent you can stand making conversation (which I for one appreciate). The music is always well picked or bearable (or radio? Or always radio?). For some reason I've heard a good amount of Phil Spector but there is no way in hell I could possibly hold that against them. If you're bored and without electronics (for some reason I can never get GMail here) those thousands of books actually have neat things in them, which as I understand it is in respect to the founder's and their habit of collecting books from thrift stores. Wi-fi is free, but it feels crushed pretty often, and sometimes it just gets to the point where I can't get any pages loading (though admittedly this could just be my laptop). Lines can be ridiculous, out to (and beyond) the door in the morning, sometimes to the point I'll just walk the extra distance to Analog or Joe Bar. Table space is limited and if busy it's difficult to get the chance to relax, but that's the price of coziness. read more

I just moved to Seattle after being trapped on the east coast for the last 6 years. So I have had been beaten into Dunkin' Donut/Krispy Kreme submission. DD was mostly out of survival at work. (double groan for being forced to eat average donuts because work banned KK) Outside of the hot and ready KK these are the best I have ever had. Leaving me to say Krispy-who? What are we Dunkin? read more

Doughnuts are pretty yummy every so often. The first time I ate a Top Pot Doughnut was in 4th grade. My teacher REALLY liked the doughnuts from here, and bought some for us on the last day of school. I tried the old fashioned donut and chocolate doughnut. Both are pretty good! The old fashioned isn't as sweet as I would like, and the chocolate is an interesting, light cocoa flavored doughnut. I have yet to try their feathered boa and apple fritter! read more

It must be a seattle thing. The brand is so strong here. "Top-pot, top-pot!!" But, this is the perfect definition of OVERRATED. I hate myself for falling for these donuts and the calories that come with it. They are really nothing special. Your local donut shop is just as good if not better. Just because these donuts are "hand-made"? Aren't most donuts hand-made? And frankly I like krispy kreme's "machine-made" donuts...especially when they come out all nice and warm. If there were special toppings or fillings or something incredible about the dough, I'd give it some more props...but no...none of that. Worst of all, it's $3+ tax for a bad donut. Okay, so now that I'm done with the hating...I give this place 3 stars for the atmosphere. It's a charming little coffee shop. Bar stools in front of the window (where I like to camp out), a few tables and a couch. It's kind of like an old-school coffee shop with older folks (not your hipster central joint), which I kind of like for a change. They got some old music playing in the background (think Glenn Miller orchestra). Donuts all look lovely but they really are nothing special. Top Pot has their own beans and brew, and the coffee tastes like water. Nothing special about the coffee either. Or donuts, if you didn't gather that from the beginning of my review. Nice people, nice shop, but overrated donuts and they are not known for their coffee. read more

Back down to 3 stars because it took 10 minutes to receive a drip coffee at 11:00 a.m. today (not even weekday rush or weekend brunch hours). I understand it wasn't the barista's fault that one guy was asking painfully endless questions about each and every of the dozen doughnuts he was purchasing (they're DOUGHNUTS, just pick some that look pretty and put them in the fucking box, you aren't buying a new house, dude!). Still, the episode made me miss my bus. In order to make it to my meeting on time, I had to run across Seattle with my feet pinched into heels and with a scalding coffee spilling all over me. This should not have to happen when all I'm asking for is a drip coffee and a calm busride. Sorry guys. read more

Excellent cake and old fashioned doughnuts! It is lovely to stumble into a shop early in the morning and have a friendly server hand you a box of pastries. It is spacious and I would love to spend more time hanging out there. Coffee is not the best in Seattle, but perfectly nice to accompany the main event. read more

Top Pot Doughnuts - Super Bowl Sunday - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have gone to top pot on summit every morning for 12 years. They have a pull coffee espresso machine which is tastier and more difficult to make I love Julie, the best barista and all other helpful employees The shop has thrived under Dave's direction I look forward to my morning top pot coffee every night before I go to bed! I love read more

Disappointing behavior. Normally the location is so busy that there really ain't time for the folks working to be engaging in conversation. just before 9 AM this morning it was very quiet, just a few customers sitting down and no line. The two behind the counter were having a conversation about a former employee named Kevin, who I gather from comments was more in the way than beneficial to the workflow. One of the two made the comment "You know how you have to treat some people like they have a disability, that's what we just need to do with him. Well he is never coming back so it doesn't matter" this was completely inappropriate to be discussing in front of customers let alone making comments regarding disabilities. This conversation made me very uncomfortable and made me feel regret for spending my money there today. Im not going to be visiting again. And Kevin, good luck out there. I hope you find a better fitting team to join. read more

Wow. Even their end-of-the-day doughnuts are awesome. Had three for dinner (yeah, that's right, don't judge me), and I'd totally do it again. In fact, maybe I'll do that tomorrow. These are less Krispy Kreme-ish than you might want, but personally I think that's a good thing. I've never been a big Krispy Kreme guy, personally (too sugary and gooey), so these are fantastic in comparison. read more

Pretty gross cappuccino. It's because it's huge. Barista clearly doesn't know what one is - or thinks I don't, and has no self respect. Hate to say that it must be the former. Bleh. Fault may truly lie, indirectly, with management. Okay, well, I won't wax on, making excuses. The fact IS. Well. Too bad. I have no choice but to try again another time, because otherwise, I really like this place. It's next to one of the best bars in Seattle (that's a subjective statement, yes, but that doesn't make me any less right). It's sort of vintage inside, but in the way that Greenlake Zoka is kind of vintage, still with a sense of understated style, and loaded with these cool old books - two walls of them. A few titles near me: Nations of the World: Prescott's Peru (and Spain, Peru II, and Mexico), The Last 100 Days, Refractory Metals and Alloys, This Above All, The Case of the Calico Crab, and Qualitative Chemical Analysis. 'Doughnuts', of course, here at 'Top Pot: Hand-Forged Doughnuts', along with those Renton juices we know and love, a few Top Pot sandwiches, and Boylan's soda. Boylan's is an ass kicker too - god, how could they have screwed up the coffee? About the quality of the goods, have I had a 'Hand-Forged Doughnut'? My immediate answer is 'no, I don't eat doughnuts.' But I just remembered the last time I ate one, incidentally, it was here, and I was wandering around outside at 3 am and charming myself into a free maple bar from the men unloading the truck. Yeah, it was good. What wouldn't have been? Only 8 indoor tables, a few small ones outside under beautiful trees, and some window bar seating. It was full when I got here, and is more full now - I can foresee the possibility of coming here, finding no seat available, and having to slip next door for a cocktail or amazing Polish beer to soothe the intense hurt and betrayal - really wouldn't be an option, I could fall into depression IN A SECOND. I like the demographic too, for the most part. Serious neighborhood Cap Hillers, no doubt - sort of grungy and estranged looking, but in a hip way - a, more or less striving to be hip, way. Here we go for a challenge on the 'cappuccino', Lord grant me tact and the ability to focus my sleep deprived eyes. Well. Barista claims I ordered a tall cappuccino. Which is as impossible as me not getting the espresso fix I need. I DO NOT GET how any barista or coffee vendor gets off calling a 12 oz. anything: 'cappuccino', a 6 oz. drink. (Unless it's a straight up double cap - not super common.) The difference in definition, to a latte, is the ratio - the ratio! Of milk and foam to espresso. And this new one is the rightish size (in an 8 oz mug, minus some of the milk, per my request) but has a dreadful mouthfeel and tastes slightly like coffee grounds... oh, woe! Ah, I'm disappointed. Look, if you're not a snob, if you don't know or care what I just raved about, come on by. It's not a bad place. read more

Only a donut shop in Seattle would have a wall full of books inside it (like Encyclopedia Britannica Jr.!). Classic. Top Pot is definitely the fanciest/hippest donut shop I've ever been to. I had really really high expectations for this famous spot, and I'm sorry to say that Top Pot didn't live up to all the hype. Admittedly I am a tough customer, as I have tasted the amazingness that is Donut Man in SoCal (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-donut-man-glendora). And I will never be the same. Anyways, even though I went in the morning, my Top Pot donuts were cold and a little bit stale. The apple fritter was definitely my favorite: huge and covered in a delicious sugary glaze. I was so looking forward to trying the pumpkin cake, but man, it was seriously lacking in pumpkin flavor. If someone had just handed it to me, I would have thought it was a plain. My coffee expert (the husband) thought the coffee here was decidedly mediocre. Don't get me wrong, Top Pot's donuts were good, but not nearly as mind-blowing as I had hoped. I was left kind of wishing I had gone to Crumble & Flake instead. read more

I too was along on the Ktown express to bliss! (read three post down) It was like in the original willy wonka movie where the kids enter the candy room through the wee door and they go mad , mad, MAD with pure imagination! I kinda felt like Agustive Glute and had to try the Pink rainbow, an apple fritter, and a maple bar! WOW! and just like the original willy wonka there too was a creepy element running through the whole experience.........every table had a mac book and no one was talking. it was three blonde wigs and one red eye away from being the children of the corn.....shudder... so if your into complete silence and devouring the most delectable doughnut you will ever have then go, go, GO! read more

I'm a dummy. My original review was misplaced, and meant for the Top Pot on 5th. But it totally applies to this one, too. read more

When it comes to donuts you can call me Homer Simpson. Donuts make me weak in the knees and excited. Mmm...donuts *continues to drool* I have heard a lot about Top Pot donuts. I even saw them on a donut theme show on the Travel Channel once and yet I have only just recently become buddies with these donuts. After seeing a movie at the Egyptian and before I was going to Summit Pub, I decided a donut was in order and stopped at Top Pot. The cafe was cute, welcoming, with about six patrons sitting around chatting or pounding on their laptop. I walked in and all of them stopped to look at me. Uh...hi! I made my way through the stares and up to the counter. The man behind the counter greeted me with a smile and asked how I was. I smiled back and asked him about this day. A friendly fellow if I do say so myself. To my dismay the shelves in the donut display weren't brimming with a ridiculous variety of donuts. Only four leftover donuts were placed nicely on a solitary place right in the middle of the display. I decided to go with one donut with pink frosting and coconut and another with caramel frosting. I took my luscious donuts to go. I went to Summit Pub and ate my caramel donut first (I decided to save one for the next day) and it was delicious not to mention huge. The next day my coconut donut waited patiently for me and I was in heaven as I bit into the sweet coconut-y fried dough. Top Pot doughnuts is great but get there early if you want more of a selection. read more

I hate you top pot...i have no will power...and your donuts kick ass...which means...i get fatter see you in a day or two read more

Little round morsels laced with Crack!!! Need I say more ? I bet you can't eat just one ...Try I dare ya.... yaa you and you have to get them fresh here at the store the previously frozen ones at Satr$$ don't count, if that is all you have had then you have not had Top Pot yet And the cool red box makes it so much more then just donuts and there Apple Fritters OMG they are huge !!! almost as big as your head this here is breakfast folks Now get to Top Pot read more

Be prepared for some hearty donuts. When you are standing, gazing into the window of options and your stomach is telling you to choose two or maybe three. DO NOT listen. Start with one. Trust me, you can thank me later. Their glazed donuts are some of the richest I have had. Not near the top of the list for me, but I'm willing to chalk that up to a somewhat airier preference when it comes to my non-cake donuts. read more

As the #14 bus driver says: "Top Pot, thanks a lot. Where the donuts are cool and the coffee is hot." I recommend the Rooibus tea and a maple bar. read more

Hand forged donuts. I love'em and these guys know how to get you hooked. Not only are the flavor combinations lovely, the staff is always friendly. I took my born and raised Brooklyn boyfriend there for the first time this past week. After picking 6 donuts out we were stumped on the last 2 we should get, the cashier said take the cinnamon and eclair and I have a surprise for you. She gave us another box that someone never picked up and since they were closing she said they were going to throw them out anyways. What an awesome first experience! Now my boyfriend cannot say enough good things about Top Pot. It made our night. read more

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? Every donut is like a mini-cake. As Barney Stinson(aka Neil Patrick Harris) would say: "Legen-Wait for it!-dary!" read more

I'm no coffee person but the donuts are the best EVER. EVER. They are so good my wife and I included 15 dollars a week for Top Pot donuts everyweekend. The only con is that some days the donuts can feel like a tasty punch in the stomach. (They're quite rich) read more

A great neighborhood place for doughnuts and hang out, besides this is a LGBT and animal friendly spot. Top pot is a famous doughnut brand in Seattle. For this month ( Nov 2017), it has a promotion for Delta - American Express credit card member. It is cool and make top pot more friendly to me. Btw, the ovaltime latte is great (made of melt chocolate). read more

See all

Ladies and gents @ Top Pot Doughnuts know their Doughnuts. There's no argument to be had. None. However, when they also know coffee, say a small Soy Latte to go in the paper cup, well, there's bound to be some confusion in many who are hopelessly dependent on both sugar AND caffeine. But maybe it's one of those happy confusions in life, that doesn't need to stress you out with clarifying it. Just be happily confused and eat your double chocolate or apple fritter with abandonment (like you used to when you hated your parents @ the age of 17) nicely balanced with the aforementioned caffeinated beverage. You won't be sorry. Hell, I don't even LIKE doughnuts and I somehow find myself there every so often. Perfect stop after getting something(s) to read from Twice Sold Tales, just up the street. read more

So it's really cute inside, great curb appeal, and the doughnuts look yummy. It has so much potential. But let's be real...the doughnuts are just OK. Some are too dry, some icing too sweet, etc. It's nothing I'll go out of my way to buy again. read more

I'm trying to remedy the fact that I never seem to review my 'regulars' (aka places that are good enough to keep going to over and over again...) and Top Pot is certainly one of em. Anybody who lives in Seattle and has an appreciation for donuts has prob eaten at least a couple dozen of Top Pot's finest. I can honestly say I've never been disappointed, but my favorite thing about their donuts is that I can eat one and feel super sated but not gross (tried Krispy Kreme for the first time in a while recently and thought I'd be sick--it was serious sugar overload!) I love their variety of flavors and that they often have more than one kind of fritter and a good variety of old fashioned's. While they are often sold out of a lot of flavors by the afternoon, there's always at least one or two left that I'm interested in. For a place that doesn't specialize in coffee, their espresso drinks have always been perfectly made, and are reasonably priced. They are pretty quick, but the attitude is still rather laid back in this location, so if waiting in line behind people hemming and hawing over which flavors to get pisses you off, one of the downtown ones may be more your speed. Personally I like the interior of this store, it feels nice and cozy on a rainy Seattle afternoon. Plus the location is far away enough from Broadway/Olive craziness that I can usually find a parking spot right out front, if I decide to drive over instead of walk. read more

Why 5-stars? ************** 5. We are easily swayed by modern and mid-century/retroish appeal. 4. Pleasant and patient baristas/doughnistas are fantastic. 3. They are a .8 mile walk from my house, so my ass thanks them ever so much. (you burn 390 calories while walking 1.6 miles right? that's what I thought. :) 2. They are far from Krispy Kreme. 1. The doughnuts...mmm...just a sec, let me throw back this last bite...mmm hmm...delish. Love cake doughnuts. Not so much the fluffy, air-filled doughnuts, but the solid, scrumptious, for-real cake doughnuts. If you want the definition of a "real" doughnut, Top Pot is it. *on a side note. I bought a coffee and doughnut this morning. On my .8 mile walk home I haphazardly dropped my doughnut on the sidewalk while juggling my coffee/wallet. I am not proud to say that instead of turning around and walking the .5 miles back to Top Pot, I brushed it off and still ate it. That's covered by the 10 sec rule right? read more

This place is pretty good, don't let the three stars fool you. I love doughnuts, and I have had my fair share. These doughnuts are worth consumption, and are delicious, but I have had better. I think that it is crowded, and cluttered inside. I think that maybe because I am not native to Seattle I am always taken back the atmosphere these local places all seem to have. I just think I like my personal space too much. I think that if you stop by you should try the Bavarian cream doughnut, it was delicious, as well as the glazed twist if you must. Yum! read more

I MISS THIS PLACE SO DAMN MUCH. I was down in Austin for Austin City Limits. My college buddy's roommate is from Seattle. On off conversation I was just all like... "Hey... so you know about Top Pot right??" "Oh hell yeah! *hi5*" YES. Awesome. It's like meeting another meandering soul who KNOWS. Why aren't these anywhere else :(. HUGE HUGE HUGE TASTY DOUGHNUTS. read more

I wonder if 10 years from now the display of wall-to-wall books would be replaced by first-generation kindles... I digress. Here, the doughnuts are tops. It rekindles that childhood memory of how doughnuts should be. WHY GO THERE? Nice neighborhood doughnut/cafe that serves old fashioned doughnuts and great coffee. This is the un-Starbucks and un-Krispy Kreme: no chain-store feel, no corporate-cloned baristas, no doughnut-factory ambiance. WATCHA GOT? I've tried a lot of their doughnuts - chocolate cake, old fashioned, cruller, bar, etc. -- but I always satisfy my craving for bavarian creme. YOU GOT SERVED. It's always busy when I go here. Though friendly, I don't come here for the baristas, but doughnuts, coffee and the nostalgic feel amidst the Mac-surfing regulars. This being the first store, it has the famed sign that dropped S on transit making it Top Pot instead of Top Spot. read more

These were good, but not as good as they proclaimed. They said they have the "best bavarian creme" and it was good, but not the best. Apple Fritter had too much glaze and was rock hard, but the cinnamon sugar was moist and perfect level of sweetness or "mind-blowing" as my boyfriend put it. read more

See all

I don't get all the hype about Top Pot Doughnuts...they're okay. Maybe its because I am more of a yeasty doughnut type of girl and most of their doughnuts are cake doughnuts. In any case their yeast doughnuts are okay, nothing exceptional. I also think the doughnuts can be a little inconsistent from shop to shop since I have had some dry doughnuts from other Top Pot locations, especially the cake ones. This location is very nice and classy Seattle, the service is great as well. Other than that I think its overrated, hands down I would pick Frost Doughnuts over Top Pot. read more

Top Pot Doughnuts - Dry...dry..dry - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is like my dream coffee joint. Good coffee. Great doughnuts. Great Service. Good music. And they have a pencil sharpener. read more

I come from the land of the fabulous "Donut Man" so I ask a lot from my donut, after all is nothing but delicious and empty calories. This doughnuts were like something that my mom would make, but better. Everybody was nice. I had fun in Seattle :) read more

Heard about this place because of Cooking Channel through "Donut Showdown," my cousin said they were featured on "Unique Sweets," and they're kind of a big deal in Seattle. We figured since we're visiting Seattle from California, we may as well check it out. I didn't buy any donuts, but I did have a bite of my cousins' donuts that they bought... not really sure what the big deal was, unfortunately =/ I was going to give the benefit of the doubt since we came at around 2:30 pm on a Monday, but I've had pretty amazing donuts around "awkward" times (I used to always get donuts before football games when I was in high school, so I had to judge fairly).. There was nothing over-the-top or extravagant about the flavors. I had high hopes for this place since it's been on TV a few times, but I walked away not super satisfied with the bites I did have. Even my cousins said they weren't fans of the donuts they bought. read more

I don't get it - what's the big deal about this place? If you like heavily fried, cake-like donuts, then I guess Top Pot's may be better than average. This morning we tried a chocolate with coconut (quite good), one with just chocolate (okay), and one just cake (not good). I had a coffee too, which was fine but nothing special. I guess this place's main attribute is that it is the only coffee shop in it's immediate vicinity, which means it has a pretty dedicated group of regulars from the neighborhood. Personally, I live closer to 15th and would pass at least 5 or 6 equally as good or better coffee shops on the way to Top Pot. I probably won't bother going back. read more